For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary Contact: 202-282-8010 Under President George W. Bush’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has achieved considerable success in protecting the nation from dangerous people and goods, securing the nation’s critical infrastructure, strengthening emergency preparedness and response and unifying department operations. More than seven years without an attack on U.S. soil is a testament to this department’s 218,000 employees, the intelligence community and the nation’s first responders and law enforcement officers. Over 2008, we remained focused on strengthening the foundations for successful execution of our mission. We continued to listen, learn, and grow as a department. And we continued to work in a spirit of collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners, and with the American people – all of whom are equal partners in helping us protect our country, as well as equal stakeholders in our progress to achieve our five major goals:    1. Protect our Nation from Dangerous People    2. Protect our Nation from Dangerous Goods    3. Protect Critical Infrastructure    4. Strengthen our Nation’s Preparedness and Emergency Response Capabilities    5. Strengthen and Unify DHS Operations and Management Since its creation in the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the department has achieved much to protect and secure the United States.  The following are selected achievements from this year:     * Turned the tide against illegal migration to the United States through the deployment of fencing and technology along the southern border; the implementation of unprecedented immigration enforcement efforts and operations; and the hiring of additional Border Patrol agents to meet the department’s goal of employing 18,000 agents.     * Demonstrated the drastic improvements to Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) incident management capabilities realized since Hurricane Katrina by responding quickly and effectively to the worst tornado season in the history of the United States, the Midwest Floods, several devastating fires, and hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  FEMA also successfully carried out cross-component disaster recovery and response efforts with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other DHS components.     * Worked tirelessly to implement a careful and comprehensive succession plan and developed extensive briefing and confirmation materials for the incoming Administration; set in motion a master building plan for consolidation of all headquarters functions; eliminated unconnected networks, e-mail systems and communication environments and replaced them with an integrated IT service and communications delivery capability.     * Excluding Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorists have killed more than 20,000 men and women and wounded more than 43,000 around the world since Sept. 11.  As we approach 2009, we mark the beginning of the eighth year in which the United States has not been successfully attacked by terrorist; this is due in large part to the counterterrorist strategies of the U.S. government, including DHS.  In 2009, we must continue to resist complacency, pushback from special interest groups, and having a false sense of security because we have not been attacked since Sept. 11. Goal 1: Protect our Nation from Dangerous People Increased Border Law Enforcement Officers and Fencing: CBP increased the size of its work force last year from 46,473 to 51,533 by adding officers, agents and agriculture specialists. CBP has doubled the size of the Border Patrol from approximately 9,000 in 2001 to more than 18,000 as of Nov. 21, 2008. CBP has constructed more than 520 miles of vehicle and pedestrian fencing, including approximately 93 miles in Fiscal Year 2008 (FY 08), building toward a total of roughly 670 miles of fencing along the nation’s southern border.  This year, technology upgrades under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) were completed at land border crossings marking the start for new Radio Frequencyentification (RFID) technology deployments at 354 northern and southern border ports that account for 95 percent of all cross-border travel into the United States. In 2008, CBP apprehended 1,020,438 individuals, including 200 individuals with serious criminal records such as murder, rape and child molestation. Strengthened Visa Waiver Program (VWP): This year, DHS welcomed seven new countries into the Visa Waiver Program.  Eligible citizens of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia can now travel to the United States for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.  All 34 VWP countries have or will conclude arrangements with the United States to provide certain information on air passengers before passengers arrive on U.S. soil, serious crimes, known or suspected terrorists, asylum and migration matters, and timely reporting of lost and stolen passport data, as well as cooperation on airport and aviation security. These arrangements will enhance our ability to secure our nation and augment the department’s counterterrorism efforts, as well as help prevent terrorist and criminal activities in our VWP partner nations.  Effective January 12, 2009, in order to travel to the United States under the VWP, every VWP citizen or national will be required to apply for travel authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Connecting the Dots:  DHS renegotiated and concluded a revised Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement with the European Union; the agreement requires airlines to provide DHS with PNR data for all flights carrying passengers into and out of the United States.  In addition,  DHS began accepting voluntary applications on August 1, 2008 for ESTA, a new online system that is part of VWP reforms and is required by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.  In October, DHS unveiled an enhanced ESTA Web site that includes instructions for obtaining authorization in 13 additional languages in addition to English. ESTA establishes a point from which paper-based procedures may be automated and leverages 21st century electronic means to obtain basic information about who is traveling to the United States. Better Biometrics: CBP officers currently collect biometrics from foreign visitors applying for admission into the United States at 183 air/sea ports and 168 land border ports of entry. Since Dec. 2007, 123 air, sea, and land ports of entry currently have the ability to collect ten fingerprints from arriving foreign visitors, enabling DHS to check visitors’ full set of fingerprints against the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Master File and latent fingerprints collected from terrorist training camps, safe houses and battlefields around the world.  Since 2004, DHS has been able to stop more than 4,000 criminals and immigration violators at ports based on biometrics alone. Additionally, US-VISIT and the USCG have partnered to use mobile biometric collection toentify migrants and smugglers attempting to illegally enter the United States through waters near Puerto Rico and the Florida Straits. The program has resulted in a total of 3,143 people interdicted at sea, 269 brought ashore for prosecution – with 152 convicted so far – and a 60 percent reduction in the flow of illegal migration. Secure Documentation Standards: Compliance with Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requirements for air travel currently exceeds 99 percent.  DHS will implement similar secure document requirements for land and sea travel in June 2009. New procedures at land and sea ports of entry implemented in January 2008 ended acceptance of oral declarations alone and significantly reduced the types of acceptable documents to further secure our borders. This year, WHTI reader equipment using RFID technology is being installed at land ports of entry covering 95 percent of traffic volume and is revolutionizing border processing. DHS improved the standards of itsentification cards in 2008 and is offering more secure Trusted Traveler Program and Lawful Permanent Resident Cards that include technology to help speed border crossings.  Arizona, Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington are also working with the department to produce Enhanced Drivers Licenses that allow for cross border travel at land and sea ports of entry.  DHS also issued the REAL final rule in 2008, establishing minimum standards that enhance the integrity and reliability of state-issued drivers’ licenses andentification cards.  All of these efforts enhance our illegal immigration enforcement operations and also bolster our counterterrorism strategies. Enhanced Aviation Security: To date, more than 2,000 Behavior Detection Officers employed at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are working at more than 150 of the nation’s largest airports toentify potentially high-risk passengers in airports. In 2008, TSA started requiring that holders of airport-issuedentification credentials be perpetually vetted against the Terrorist Screening Database and has expanded its Travel Document Checking program at passenger security checkpoints. During 2008, TSA worked tirelessly to begin implementing the Secure Flight program by early 2009, under which it will assume watch list checks from airlines to help create a more consistent passenger screening process and reduce the number of misidentifications. Through the Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States rule, DHS has strengthened aviation security by private aircraft to provide more detailed information about the aircraft, crew and passengers onboard to CBP prior to their arrival into and departure from the United States. DHS also entered into an agreement to establish new aviation preclearance operations with Ireland, broadening CBP operations in Shannon and Dublin to include full preclearance of commercial and private air passenger flights destined for the United States.  In addition, through the same agreement, all incoming international private aircraft out of Shannon and Dublin will be scanned for the presence of radiological and nuclear material.  Already, all incoming international general aviation flights are scanned domestically for the presence of radiological and nuclear material.  In October, TSA met a major milestone in securing air cargo on passenger carrying aircraft. All cargo on narrow-body aircraft is now 100 percent screened. Narrow body aircraft represent more than 90 percent of all flights within the United States. Counter-Intelligence (CI) Capabilities – In 2008, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) established a program office to provide counterintelligence strategy, policy and strategic analysis for the department and protect DHS personnel, information, operations, programs and technologies from adversaries who intend to harm DHS and national interests.  I&A produced the first-ever DHS Counter-intelligence Strategic Plan with departmental goals to increase CI awareness throughout the department, conduct CI activities to defeat foreign intelligence collection on DHS activities, provide analytical capabilities, support cybersecurity, and provide oversight of DHS CI operations and activities.  I&A increased counter-intelligence awareness training available to headquarters and components by five percent and extended the training to non-HQ components.  I&A reduced vulnerabilities to DHS facilities by bolstering personnel assigned to the Technical Surveillance Countermeasures Program, increasing capacity for critical security sweeps.  I&A also expanded deployment of training to state and local government as well as private-sector personnel handling ified and sensitive information received from the department. New Checkpoint Experience: TSA revamped its airport screening operations, introducing Checkpoint Evolution at Baltimore Washington International Airport in April 2008, which emphasizes the human element of security, and made significant technology and process improvements. Nearly 30 percent of the TSA work force has completed a new two-day training module called “ENGAGE!” aimed at fostering a calm environment at the checkpoint to improve security.  TSA has deployed whole body imaging technology at 18 airports and 500 advanced technology x-ray machines at 20 airports to more effectively screen carry-on luggage.  TSA expanded its family lane concept in November 2008 to every airport in America to enable families, individuals unfamiliar with air travel procedures and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace.  This is all in response to listening to the concerns of our sector stakeholders and the public, while maintaining the appropriate level of security. Record-Breaking Law Enforcement: An October 2008 study from the Pew Hispanic Center reported that illegal border crossings into the United States have decreased, and suggested that the federal government’s more vigorous and aggressive enforcement strategy may be a critical factor in that decrease. Since January 2008, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) removed or returned more than 323,000 illegal aliens from the United States, roughly a 20 percent increase over the previous year. ICE dramatically increased penalties against employers whose hiring processes violate the law, securing fines and judgments totaling in the millions, as well as jail time for the most egregious offenders. Throughout the year agents made more than 1,100 criminal arrests and more than 5,180 administrative arrests, a 27 percent increase over the previous year’s total arrests in worksite enforcement actions. From Jan. 1, 2008 to Nov. 21, 2008, ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams conducted more than 33,200 arrests; including 6,190 criminal fugitives, 18,787 non-criminal fugitives, 2,578 criminal non-fugitives, and 5,722 non-criminal non-fugitives. Under ICE 287g and Criminal Alien Programs, officersentified more than 260,000 criminal aliens last fiscal year in federal, state and local prisons and jails, more than triple the number of incarcerated aliensentified just two years ago. Under DHS, the U.S. Secret Service has made more than 29,000 criminal arrests for counterfeiting, cyber and other financial crimes, 98 percent of which resulted in convictions, and seized more than $295 million in counterfeit currency. Also, the USCG interdicted more than 5,000 migrants attempting to illegally enter the United States.  All these efforts help secure our communities from those who violate our laws, dangerous criminals, and potential terrorist attacks. Protecting U.S. and World Leaders: The Secret Service continues to meet unprecedented challenges of protecting United States and world leaders while implementing a comprehensive plan for securing the 2009 presidential inauguration and providing protection for not only current U.S. leaders but also the president-elect and his family. The 2008 presidential campaign marked the first time in more than 50 years where no incumbent president or vice president was running for office, and also the earliest the Secret Service assumed protection for any presidential candidate.  During the 2008 campaign, the Secret Service achieved a 100 percent success rate in safe arrivals and departures for all protectees during more than 2,000 protective visits that spanned more than 1,600 protective days, including visits for nine candidates and spouses. U